Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I’m always a little nervous about being on the road during the holidays. I know that many people are going to parties, get-togethers and family gatherings, and some of them will get back on the road with alcohol in their system. In 2008, nearly 12,000 people in the U.S. were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. And during the periods around Christmas and New Year’s this number was particularly high: 316 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Years ago, we used to think of drunk driving as a “guy thing,” but more and more women are getting in the driver’s seat impaired. In 2007, 162,493 women were arrested for a DUI, an increase of almost 29% since 1998. I can’t help but wonder how many lives could have been saved if people had thought twice before getting behind the wheel. How can you help spread the word?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Ad Council are asking everyone to drive smart this holiday season and to pledge not to drive buzzed. You can help by following Buzzed Driving on Twitter (@buzzeddriving) and Facebook to get the latest updates and news. You can also visit the Buzzed Driving website and sign a pledge to not drive buzzed, play an interactive game which demonstrates the difference between buzzed and drunk, and hear personal stories from people who have driven buzzed.

At holiday events, it’s easy to lose track of a drink here or there, but this can be fatal. You don’t have to be rip-roaring drunk to cause a deadly accident. This holiday season, keep you and your family safe by spreading this message and pledging to drive sober yourself. Remember that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.